A well-known system provides content such as a greeting card configured by digital information via a network such as the Internet. In such a conventional system, a provider server included in the system sends mail as a notice that includes a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for a greeting card to an object user terminal. After receiving this notice mail, the user accesses the specified URL and enters necessary identifiers (such as a certification code included in the notice mail) and browses content as a card addressed to him/her.
In the case of the conventional system described above, the user who receives the gift is required to have a terminal device such as a personal computer that can access a specific network, such as the Internet. Additionally, the user who has received the notice mail is required to access a linked URL again to receive the content. If the addressee is using a personal computer, the user might not become aware of the notice mail for some time. The user will thus browse the greeting card much later than the time expected by the presenter. This has been a problem from such a conventional system.
There is also another well-known system that presents a user with a privilege for receiving a service via a network. When using a personal computer, however, personal identification security might not be sufficient, whereby illegal accesses cannot be properly prevented. While each user may be enabled with a password and a user ID, the system can become too complicated, requiring an additional software program to cope with the complicated system.
In order to present services such as content to enable another user to access a specific site, etc., each presenter user is requested to register his/her personal information which may include name, credit card number, age, etc. with the content provider beforehand. The user is further requested to enter other information to allow another user to access the content and/or service presented by the presenter user. Therefore, such a system will not be so user friendly.
There are also pagers, having a well-known push-button type portable terminal that employs radio communications. However, the pager is only used to receive information; it cannot supply services interactively via a network, for example, by accessing a linked URL.
However, the spread of cellular phones that can access the Internet has grown considerably. Therefore, it is now much easier to access a network such as the Internet. Many cellular phones are enabled to receive and disply a variety of content consisting of characters, music, voices, etc. on their liquid crystal displays. Corporations that supply networks for cellular phones (hereinafter, to be referred to as carriers) can obtain personal information about the users as described above when the cellular phones are registered. Additionally, these cellular phones are provided with a function for certifying user identification for enabling communications. This is why a user's identification will be easier for a cellular phone than terminals such as personal computers.